Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigerian government has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not sack the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu. Yakubu.
Some messages online and on social media had claimed that the President removed the INEC boss from office. But the Presidency says this is not true and people should ignore those rumours.
Dr. Daniel Bwala, who is the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, spoke out against the false story. He wrote on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, @BwalaDaniel, saying:
“The story trending across media platforms to the effect that Mr. President @officialABAT has either sacked the INEC chairman or has replaced the INEC chairman is not true and should be discountenanced.”
Dr. Bwala explained that when President Tinubu wants to make an important decision like removing someone from office, it will be done through proper and official ways—not through rumours or unconfirmed reports.
“Decisions and official acts of Mr. President are communicated through official channels and not the rumor mill,” he said.
Professor Mahmood Yakubu is still the INEC Chairman. He was first appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari and was given a second five-year term on October 27, 2020. His term will end later this year.
So far, the Presidency has not made any statement about removing or replacing him.
Many people are now warning others to be careful about fake news, especially on the internet. They say news platforms should always check if a story is true before telling it to the public, especially when it has to do with elections and the country’s leadership.
This reminder helps protect trust in important government offices like INEC.
